Secondhand Serenade
by Layla Taylor
Summary: Trapped between her friendship with Arthur and listening to her gut instinct Liv must help a man she swore would never hurt her again
1. Chapter 1

_Arthur sat inside a cafe in Russian cafe watching the snow fall outside the window. Why the heck she decided to hide in a place like Russia, made no sense to him but then it didn't have too. He needed her help and even though he knew that Liv got out of the game a few years ago, Arthur knew that he was the only one that could talk her around, at least he hoped. He knew there was going to be one major speed hump and he was pretty sure she would say no – just because of it, or him. He spotted her walk through the door, the Irish beauty. Her dark brown hair was longer then the last time he had seen her, glowing alabaster skin and a smile that could light up a room._

"_Hey" she said before giving him a hug that latest a while. They had seen each other in three years and she had really missed him._

"_Liv, Oh my god"_

_They both sat down at the table and she ordered and prefect Russian, not that Arthur was surprised. She had always been gifted in other dialects._

"_So?" she asked her brown eyes harrowing is suspicion _

"_Trust you to pick the coldest place in the world to live"_

"_Arthur?"_

"_I need you help on a job"_

"_No. I've retired. You know that"_

"_I know and I wouldn't asked if I wasn't desperate. I'm in a jam and you're the best architect I have ever met in my life. I need the best"_

"_What about your young American protégée?" she asked her Irish accent getting thicker, with jealous _

"_How did you know about_ _Ariadne?"_

_She smiled wickedly at him as the waitress come over with her coffee. Once the waitress was a safe distance away Liv chuckled_

"_I have my sources"_

"_Really? Who are they exactly?"_

"_Oh come on. You guys pulled off Inception. You don't think that fact spread like wildfire throughout the industry. Even ex-cons found out about it"_

"_Ari's good" he told her "You're better. You've been doing it for a long time"_

" _I haven't built dream space for three years, I'm rusty to say the least" _

"_I need you, Olivia"_

"_Show me the folder" she said holding out her hand _

"_What folder?" he asked innocently _

"_Art, hand me the damn folder"_

_He smiled as he did so. She playfully shook her head before grabbing the folder and looking through the pages. One thing Arthur was good at was information; he was also good at direction so she always knew what he wanted and what he needed. Made her job a whole lot easier. He watched her frown and went back a few pages._

"_You may need a forger, for this"_

"_I know"_

"_Who'd you pick?" There was silence at the table like she had never heard before. She looked up at him and gave him a malice glance "Arthur?"_

"_He's good at what he does. You have to give him that"_

"_Yeah I'll give him something" she said shutting the folder with impressive force and handing it back to him "No way in the world, dream and reality, am I working with Eames"_

"_How about working with me, Livvy? Would you work with me?"_

"_That's emotional blackmail and you know it, Art?"_

"_Please?"_

"_I hate you"_

"_Is that a yes?"_

_She snatched the folder back shaking her head. " The things I do for you, Arthur"_

"_You must love me or something"_

"_Not right now, I don't"_

_Arthur chuckled before drinking his coffee. This job was going to be interesting. Ten to one Liv killed Eames in the first week._


	2. Chapter 2

Her heart was pounding out of her chest as she drove up to the warehouse; she was both terrified and excited. She would never admit it but she was excited to design and create again. It was addictive and she loved it but she was nervous because she hadn't seen him in four years. Did he look any different? Would he still have that same effect on her that he always had? If it was anyone but Arthur that had asked for her help, she would have said no but she had knew Arthur for a long time, her loyalty to him was stronger than her hate for Eames and that was saying a lot. She parked around the back, hopped out of her car before nervously smoothed down her white blouse. She didn't know it but there were eyes from above on her. Arthur looked out the window and saw she get out of her car.

"She's here"

Eames walked over and stood beside him, looking out the window

"Her hair is longer"

"You do know that she is going to kill me for doing this" Arthur said walking away

"Don't worry she be far too exhausted from murdering me to get to you, today"

"She has every right to murder you. You screwed up, man. You had a woman like that"

"I know"

"For some reason she picked you"

"Arthur, I get it. I stuffed up"

Suddenly there was another voice in the room. An Irish voice, a female voice.

"You're the one that said, not me"

He turned around and set eyes on her for the first time in a long time. Those warm chocolate brown eyes that made his heart jump, some things didn't change. Her platform heels clicked over the concrete floor towards Arthur before giving him a huge hug, that latest a little too long for Eames' liking. He was pretty sure that he saw Arthur whisper something in her ear which made her chuckle.

"Yusuf, this is Liv"

'Hi" she said kissing him on the cheek. Yusuf looked surprised and Liv just smiled "Yusuf, we were going to be working with each other for god knows how long. The least I can do is kiss you hello"

"What about me?" Eames asked

"Don't push it. You're lucky I'm even here" she said quickly before changing the subject " So you never told me why you choose this mark?"

"Trent Winter. Millionaire and screwed up human being. Hopefully it will be a walk in the park" Arthur told her sheepishly

"Who want to destroy him?"

"Ex wife"

"Woman scorned, I like it" she said smiling wickedly "So why exactly do you need my help with this one. What makes him so special?"

"He's not" Arthur said "He was the wealthiest and the guy with the most dirt"

"Blackmail? Since when do you work like that?"

"The money"

Liv frowned and smirked at him because something was going on and Arthur wasn't telling her the whole story, he was telling her bullshit.

"Since when do _you_ need money?"

"I got in a jam"

She folded her arms and pouted at him. She frowned and stared him down.

"Okay. Someone better start telling the truth, right now or I'm walking right out that door"

"I need that money" Eames told her. "Owe the wrong people, a lot of money and I asked Arthur to track you down. It's all on me"

"Gambling again?"

"Yep" he said quickly

"Well maybe once they strap you into the concrete shoes. This time you'll learn something."

Liv spun on her heels and started to walk out of the room when she heard his voice

"Livvy, the thing is, they won't give me concrete shoes. It's Mitchell Aldridge, you know he'll cut off my hands and feet and watch my bleed to death and that's if I'm lucky"

She wanted to run at him and beat the living heck out of him. _Mitchell Aldridge._ What was he insane? Mitchell Aldridge was Irish and Black Irish at that. He originally had come from the same neighborhood as Olivia until he moved to bigger and better things in Boston. Eames was right Mitch was going to do unspeakable thing to him if he didn't pay up in time but the was his problem

"I bailed you out once. Not doing it again. I'm done"

He watched her out of the room, Eames watched her shocked. He always knew that she hate him but he never knew how much, until now. Frowned as he listened to her high heels click down the stairs, he looked over at Arthur, shocked. Arthur took off out of the room and down the stairs. He caught her just as she put the keys in the ignition.

"Liv, wait. Livvy!"

She turned off the engine and got out of the car slamming the door behind her

"How dare you use our relationship, use my love and loyalty to you for him. You lied to me, Arthur! You almost got me out of retirement, for him!"

"Okay, yeah I did but that is because you're the best and if we don't do this job, Aldridge is going to kill him"

"You two don't even get on together!"

"It's a fine line between love and hate, Livvy. You should know that more than anyone"

She lent up against her car and looked up at the sky before shaking her head "Don't think about it as helping him. Think of it as you and making him jealous for weeks and then you get paid at the end of it"

"Really?" she asked smirking "You'd do that?"

"What? Piss him off? Yeah, plus I miss you"

"Oh, Arthur. You sweet talker"

"Is that a yes?"

Liv playfully rolled her eyes and gave him a hug. More for her then him.

Eames watch Liv walked back into the warehouse holding Arthur's hand and deliberately not looking Eames' way, she didn't know how she was going to do it, work with him. She may have hated him with all her might but she didn't want to see him dead.

"Okay" she said "What are we doing?"

"Take a sit" Arthur said pulled a chair for her. She stayed be Arthur's side during the whole time. Eames got the feeling that he was going to have to get use to the sight of them together. Arthur had always been a bit of a security blanket, for her. What bugged him was the fact that Olivia forgive Arthur so quickly. Granted lying to get her here and stealing all her money to buy off all debts where two dramatically different thing but the premise was the same. After everybody knew, roundabout, what they were doing. they all packed up their stuff and headed at the door.

"So" Liv asked Arthur "Where are we staying?"

"Hired a manor"

"Oh" Liv said in a fake post accent "A manor. Well-then"

"Oh yes" he said playing along

"Does it look like Château de Chambord?" "Nothing that grand" he said opening her car door for her. She promised to follow him in her car, since she had no idea where she was going and tired to ignore the voice in her head that was telling her that she had made a huge mistake. 


	3. Chapter 3

Eames walked into the dining room and there she was at a dining table for twenty with stacks of books surrounding her. She was always one of doing her homework and she was always one for details. She was nose down in a book about gothic architecture when he walked in and sat down a few seat away from her. Far enough away to miss a punch but not far enough away miss a flying book if it was thrown. She didn't even look up, she was either ignoring him or that far into what she was doing that she hadn't heard him, either was possible.

"You are going to get some sleep tonight, right?"

"I'll sleep when the jobs done"

"Liv, you can't do that. I'll be dead in your feet"

"Since when do you care, Eames"

He wanted to defend himself but he knew it wouldn't get him anywhere. She was still angry but he hoped she get used to having him around.

"Are you ever going to forgive me?"

"It's not even about that anymore. You got one of my oldest friends to lie to me, to get me here. To save you because you knew full well that I wouldn't if I knew the truth. It's endless lies with you"

"Plus Arthur would never do anything to hurt you. You love and adore Arthur"

She slowly closed the book in front of her and stared at him before shaking her head

"I pegged you for a liar and a cheater but I never pegged you for the jealous type. Are you really that childish?"

"You're calling me childish?" he yelled "You're the one holding on to the past"

"I had to sell my place in Key West and the apartment in Boston"

She watched his face change with realization of what he had actually done the repercussions of his action. Olivia loved the apartment in Boston. It would have ripped her heart out selling it. Arthur walked past the room and didn't see what was going on until he had completely walked past. He took three steps backwards and looked at him both.

"Hey" she said quietly, giving him a soft smile

"You still up?" Arthur said "It's three in the morning"

"I just wanted to do some research"

Arthur walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders

"Research will be here tomorrow"

"Arth..."

"You're going to be no good to us if you're a walking Zombie"

"Okay"

"Okay?" Eames asked outraged "I just said the same thing no five minutes ago and you flat out ignored me"

They both ignored him, like he wasn't even there. It didn't matter how much time had passed Liv still knew how to piss him off. It was like no time had gone by, at all.

She tied hair back and stood at the bathroom basin and waited for the water to warm up. She cupped her hands under the water and slashed her face, washing away all her make up. She didn't hear him enter her bedroom, didn't notice him in the bathroom door way, well not until she stood back up and saw his reflection in the mirror. She jumped back and stopped breathing.

"What the heck?" she asked spinning around "What are doing here?"

"I know you're ticked off Liv but just tell me if this is what I'm in for"

"What are you talking about?"

"You making my life a living hell"

Liv rolled her eyes and turned her back to him, grabbing a towel and wiping the water off her face.

"You are such a drama queen"

"Just tell if the last of my days are going to be spent, watching you and Arthur making goo-goo eyes at each other. That's not how I thought I'd go out"

Liv almost threw out her neck turning to look at him "You are not going to die"

"It's Aldridge, Livvy"

"I know that"

"This might not work"

"It's going to work. If you didn't think this was going to work then why did you get Arthur to drag me here?"

"I wanted to see you"

She walked past him, basically knocking him over in the process. She sat on the bed and took her shoes off. He watched her silently; he could see her taking deep but subtle breaths, trying to calm herself down.

"If you go into this already defeated, you have already lost"

"Maybe we should just give up. You, me, the Caribbean? Some peace before I die"

"Stop it!" she yelled "We are doing this job and we are going to get that money and then we go out separate ways"

"What I don't get a say?"

"Eames, I didn't get a say the first time" she said shaking her head "And don't call me Livvy"

"I started it"

"You started a lot of things and what you going to start now, is the march to go back through that door and back to your room"

She turned her back and started to take her jewelry off so she could go to bed. She gasped as his hands hold on to her hips and she felt his lips next to her ear

"You use to be fun"

"I use to be a lot of things that I won't be again"

She watched him walk out the door and only looking back at her once. She frowned and cursed him in her mind because she suddenly realized that she wanted him to stay.


	4. Chapter 4

She looked out the ceiling to floor panel windows at the gorgeous scenery, frost the moors. Arthur sure knew how to pick a beautiful place to live, if only for a few months. Suddenly she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She pulled it out of her robe and smiled once she saw the picture that was on the screen.

"Доброе утро, моя любовь. Это очень холодно холодно. Я скучаю по тебе тоже. Надеюсь, не слишком долго. Артур нуждается в моей помощи с этим проектом, он делает, и тогда я буду вернуться домой с вами, я обещаю"

Eames walked into the dining room and heard her voice coming from the foyer. It's sweet and soft; a voice Eames hadn't heard himself in years. He tried to bury the jealous feeling deep inside his heart, he had more important things on his mind, like saving his own skin. That was definitely more important than whoever she was dating. He sat down at the dining table, which was still covered with the books and research from the night before. Although Olivia was always surprising in whatever she created, she always had a few trademarks. Gothic cathedral, a hospital near the hub of where the action was going to be, ground zero just in case something went wrong and an abandoned factory, full of weapons at their disposal. He poked through a few books, looked at a few of her drawings and waited.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked in the doorway. With a voice that was dramatically different than the one he had just heard her use.

"Arthur needs my help with this project he's doing and then I'll be back home with you, I promise" He repeated the words of her conversation verbatim, only in English this time

"That is a huge violation of privacy, you know that right?"

" If you want privacy, don't have a conversation in the vestibule of a manor that echoes , Darling .New boyfriend?"

"Yes" she said quickly. Not wanting to have the discussing.

"The black-coffee-and-cigarettes inclination?" he asked smirking at her "Poet or Artist, maybe?"

The look in her eyes and the playful smirk she was trying hide on her lips told him that he was right.

"Novelist" she admitted

"Russian novelist, eh? Crooked or clean cut?"

"The ladder"

"You'll get bored. The crook attracts you, always has"

"I've grown up, Eames. I'm not who I use to be. I'm not the person you knew"

He chuckled and walked over to the window and watched the rain for a few seconds

"How many times have you told yourself that over the past few years? Deep down inside you will always be the woman I fell in love with"

"Pull the other one. You never loved me"

"You don't believe that, you're trying to make it easier on yourself but I know you. You're _porcelain, ivory and steel, my love. You flirt with Arthur, just to piss me off and you still adore making love in the rain. You might have refined the rough edges but deep down inside you're still the same"_

_He turned around from the window and saw her froze to the spot she was standing in. Eames was spot on with everything he had said. Suddenly she realised that she wasn't wearing much, a couple of layers of emerald green satin. She knew that if he looked hard enough Eames would probably notice that she was wearing a thong._

_"__You have it all figured out, don't you" she said nodding her head "How come you couldn't figure out a way out of the hole, you've dug for yourself? You have to drag us all in with you"_

_"__No one is keeping you here. You know where the door is"_

_"__Can I take that as an invitation?"_

_"__To leave? Yeah you can"_

_"__Call Ari. I'm done"_

_"__Go on ran away" he called out as she left the room and walked up the stairs. _

_Arthur heard some crash__ing and then a door slam, he rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew it was going to happen eventually but he was surprised it had happened so soon. He opened his open bedroom door and walked down the hallway to Olivia's room. He knocked once before walking straight in. There she was literally jumping into a too tight pair of jeans which she did up under her oversized white knitted sweater _

_"__Hope you still__ have Ariadne's number because you better call her. I'm going home"_

_"__Listen, I know you're angry and I don't blame you but I need you on this job, Liv. You're the best I know and we can't afford mistakes on this one"_

_"__You couldn't afford mistakes on the Inception job either but she did that one"_

_"__You know Aldridge. You know what he is capable of and if you weren't retired I would have come and got you for the Inception job. I just didn't want to put you in danger. Eames is going to try and get under your skin; it's what he is good at. He has always been good at getting under your skin, one way or another" Liv sat on the bed an tucked her legs under her sweater , and placed her chin on her knees" Take Eames out of the picture. Do it for me because I miss working with you, I miss working with the best. Ignore him"_

_"__My personal life is exactly that, mine"_

_"__I agree completely. He is just jealous, you know that. Although I think you can do better"_

_"__You did a background check on him?" she ask outraged _

_"__Livvy, it's my job" _Olivia playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head "Ignore him. He'll hate it. It will drive him crazy and we can sit back and watch"

"I don't know"

"Listen, the way you make things. The way you make space. It's not just a dream, it's a masterpiece. Details on details, you think of everything. If we hit a wall, get in any trouble. Liv you always think of the solution and that is why I need you, me. Not him"

"Art.."

"Please?"

Olivia smiled and shook her head, she wanted to say no but that answer that came out of her mouth was yes. Eames saw Arthur and Olivia walked down the grand staircase. Them holding hands and Arthur leading the way. She walked past him, didn't look at him, just like he wasn't even there.

"Who wants breakfast?" she asked everyone before we walked into the kitchen. Eames heard the radio get switched on and music follow through the door, some things never change. She still needed music to cook, no such thing as a quiet kitchen. Before they knew it the music coming from the kitchen stopped and she was calling them in. Spread across the kitchen island marble top with breakfast, a breakfast like they had never seen before. Eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, bake beans, hash browns, fries, baked tomatoes, English muffins, orange juice, coffee and tea. Oatmeal and fruit

"Can Olivia stay?" Yusef asked the room "She's better then _Ariadne"_

_"__Why because I __can cook? Can we wait until then you guys are on the job before we decide who is better"_

_Eames was trying his best to ignore the fact that she was even there but when he saw Arthur place his hands on her hips briefly and kiss her temple, it was kind of hard to ignore. She poured__ herself a cup of coffee, before grabbing her books and heading up the stairs, back to her room. _

She was sitting on her bed, legs folded underneath her, white headphone on her head, lost in her music. Olivia had changed her perfume since they were together, now it was delicate and sweet. Fitting really, since deep down inside, under the tough, Irish shell, that's what she was. Delicate and sweet, his Livvy.

"I know your there" she said quietly

"Here I thought I was much more stealthy then that. Billie Holliday or Sarah Vaughan?"

Liv smiled and couldn't believe that he remembered what she listened to when she was working

"Billie" she answered taking her headphones off

"Why are you in here? Hiding away?"

"Clearly not since you found me"

He sat on the bed behind her before lifting up the laptop screen and seeing images of Verona. That was new.

"Listen, sorry about this morning. It's none of my business who you're seeing even though he is a lucky man"

"You were that lucky once"

"I am well aware of that aren't I? Especially since you're right here"

Olivia spun around and looked at him with the saddest eyes he had ever seen.

"Why did you have to get involved with Aldridge, Eames? He is a psychopath. If you don't get that money, you can not believe the things he'll do to you. It will be unthinkable" she told him getting all worked up. Eames frowned and hushed her before smoothing down her hair. He hugged her tight.

"Anybody would think you worried about me, my love"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't" she pulled back suddenly as if she remembered she was suppose to be angry and pushed him "Not that you deserve it"

He chuckled and hopped of the bed and walked towards the door.

"You won't get an argument out of me, about that one"

He walked out the door with a smile on his face. At least he knew that she cared and that was the real reason why she was there, because of him.


	5. Chapter 5

_Olivia _hadn't seen him all day and given their pass couple of days together, she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. At lunch when he still hadn't showed she started to get worried but was to stubborn to say anything to anyone. She walked into his room and tried to ignore the familiar scent of his cologne, knowing that if she acknowledged it recollections of their time together would flood her mind. She looked around for any sign of him but everything seemed normal. All but his phone sat on the bedside table. He never went anywhere without his phone. Picked it up and checked the call log. No one had called him since nine o'clock the night before. Olivia frowned and tapped into his message. Unknown number, she opened it. ~ _Stone warehouse down by__the old harbour – 5pm_

She shook her head and marched to her room to find her shoes and bag. The guys only saw a blur of her as she ran down the stairs, through the foyer and out the door. She hopped into the awaiting taxi and made her way to the harbour and prayed to god that the stupid idiot wasn't dead already. Thankfully it was getting dark and there was only one warehouse lit up like a Christmas tree. She jogged over to it not even minding the noise her high heeled boots were making. The door was open and there he was. Eames on his knee about ten men or so, standing around just watching. Olivia looked at the scene that was in front of her and her heart jumped up into her throat. As much as she wanted to hate him, she also didn't want to watch him die.

"Mitch wait" she called out. The whole room stopped and spun around to look at her. Olivia and Mitch had known each other in a previous life, when they were both growing up in Dublin. She hoped that she could use it in her advantage.

"Olivia O'Keevan, as I live and breathe. You're grownup"

"It happens over time" she said with a chuckle, trying to keep the mood light as if there wasn't a gun point at Eames head "I need you to stop what you're doing. I know he owns you money, he own me money too and if I could get it back I would"

"Don't tell me a guy like this has been fortunate enough to have a woman like you?"

"Once upon a time" she told them looking directly at Eames when she said it.

"See, the thing is Livvy I don't think I'll ever get my money back so I'm just tying up loose ends. It will be a whole lot cleaner in the long run"

"One thing that this will never be is clean"

"True but I'm still penniless"

"Listen, he has still got a couple of weeks until he's deadline and you'll have your money. That's why they called me and Mitch, we both how good I am at my job"

"You are notoriously good"

"Yes I am but the thing is. I can't pull this off without him"

Eames smiled that wickedly charming smile of his before saying "So you might say you need me?"

Her eyes turned cold in a slipt second and she stared at him amazed

"Mitch?" she asked "Do me favour?"

"Sure"

Mitch backhanded Eames across the face as Eames groaned in pain before looking across at Olivia who was now smiling.

"Fine Livvy. You can take him but you just vouched for him. So if I don't get my money, he's not the only one I'm coming after"

"Got it" she answered taking a deep breath as she watched as two men stood Eames up off his knees "Thanks Mitch"

Olivia started to walk out the door and felt Eames walking up behind, he tried to lightly grab her elbow before she moved it, so he couldn't touch her. It was the last thing that she wanted, right now. They got down stairs to his car and Eames had enough. He grabbed her elbow and lightly pinned her up against the car.

"Olivia, talk to me"

"I always knew you were going to kill me"

"Me? Kill you? Listen I didn't ask you to come here. I didn't ask you to do any of that on my behalf. This is on you, my love. The question is why?"

"Get in the car" she ordered

"Not until you answer my question. Look at me"

Olivia reluctantly looked up at him and took a deep breath "Why does it matter?"

"It matters to me"

"Just because I hate you doesn't mean I want to see you dead, okay? Are you happy? Can we go?"

Eames stepped step back and let her go. She got in the car and slammed the door.

Olivia stomped through the front door making it slam loudly on the wall. Everyone looked up at her surprised. Arthur started to get that uneasy feeling again.

"What happened?"

"Ask this idiot" she demanded "I'm going upstairs"

They all watched her go, wondering what the heck had happened now. Arthur turned back to Eames and frowned.

"What did you do?"

"This isn't on me, mate. Listen Mitchell was going to end it all but somehow she walked into the room. Told him she was involved in getting the money back. He let me go. Now he wants her too"

"Wonderful. That's fantastic Eames" Arthur yelled "I should have left her in Russia. At least she was safe"

"You think I wanted her anywhere near this, Arthur. That was your idea not mine"

"I always knew you were going to kill her in someway"

"That's the second time I have heard that today"

"That's because it's true" Arthur said turning around heading towards the stairs

"Arthur, I'll go"

"Do you really think she wants to see you right now?"

"Arthur!"

Eames was getting sick of this. Arthur was benefitting from Eames' epic mistake with Olivia and he was going to put a stop to it.

"Fine, you go check on her then. She's only going to slam the door in your face"

"Take me changes" he said walking up the stairs and to her room. He didn't bothering knocking he just opened the door and walked in. She was standing by the window one arm folded across her stomach and the other holding a cigarette.

"It's starting to rain again" she told him. Olivia didn't even need to turn around to know it was him. She always knew when he walked in a room.

"You're in England, my love. It always rains"

"Well at least it's not snow. I'm sick of the snow, sick of vodka"

"Told you, you would get bored"

"Eames, just please shut up"

"Come here" he told her but she move "Livvy, come here" She turned around and looked at him for a few second before crossing the room to stand before him "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Not with Mitch, not with anything"

"Don't make promises you can't keep"

She really did want to believe him because her truly believe it himself but Olivia thought that this was out of their contro_l_


	6. Chapter 6

She had been up for forty eight hours look into and planning schematic designs, trap doors and vortexes . Her head was heavy, her hair needed a good was and she was freezing. she jumped into the warmness of her shower. Olivia heard rain drops suddenly pour down outside and realised that the one of the best places to be, when it was raining outside, was in fact in a nice hot shower. It was like a cocoon. A cocoon she knew she had to leave. Everybody was starting to wake up and she could smell the coffee from upstairs. She turned off the water and wrapped the towel around her body and stepped out of the shower. She screeched when she saw him sitting on the edge of the bathtub. She covered her mouth with one hand and kept the towel around her chest with the other as he smiled at her

"What the hell are you doing in here!"

"Not like I haven't seen it all before"

"Four years ago!"

"I keep telling that you haven't changed. You just won't listen to me"

"Get out"

"Why?"

"Because I'm wearing a towel"

"And?" Eames asked standing up and walked towards her. Olivia didn't know was happening, she froze. She couldn't move. All her sassiness, all her tough Irish brawn went right out the window because those grey eyes were on her. They stood toe to toe and it was like he had stolen her voice. All her could utter was a quiet

"Go"

"I need to talk to you downstairs. Change of plan"

"What do you mean?"

"Just come downstairs"

"I'll be down there in a second"

She ignored the fact that he tried to catch a glimpse of her before he left the room. She had bigger things to worry about, by the sounds of it.

Olivia looked over at her ex-partner like he had told her that he was a serial killer. She raised her eyebrows and asked

"Excuse me?"

"You're coming in with us" he repeated

"No. No, no" she shook her head adamantly "I've never done that. I tell Arthur the lay out and you all go in. No"

" Livvy"

"Eames"

"Why the hell are you so stubborn?"

"I work at it"

"I know"

"Hang on" Arthur said stepping in as referee "He has a point"

"Oh I'm sorry did hell just freeze over. You two are on the same side now"

"Olivia I'm supposed to what? Go under and leave you up here alone? What if Mitch decides to pay a visit while we're gone and I'm not here?"

"Oh yeah me being unconscious is better in that scenario"

They stood just staring at each other waiting for the other to break, but neither was budging. She shook her head getting more and angrier at him by the second. What did he think that she was a helpful damsel in need of rescuing? Olivia had never been that girl and she refused to play that role now.

"I'm wait trying to keep you save. I got you into this and I trying to get you out of it"

"Well that's your first mistake. You should be working your way through the job, so we can get this money. That is what we're all here for after all"

Olivia grabbed coat and her bag before heading out the door

"Where are you going?" he shouted

"Out for some air !"

She heard him basically growl in frustration but she didn't care, let him be annoyed, so was she. Who the hell did he think he was, telling her what to do? Olivia had never been one of those people who got told what to do. God gave her a brain and she was going to use it to make up her own mind. No one was going to tell her any different, not even Eames. She pulled her coat around her to protect her from the wind blowing off the moor out surround the manor. Her dark brown hair blew over her shoulders; she lit a cigarette and took a deep breath taking to calm herself. What was it about that man that made her blood boil? Every time, without fail.

"Those things will kill you, you know?"

"Oh my god, you are relentless!"

"I'm only trying to protect you, you know?"

"I'm not helpless. I never have been, never will be"

"I know that. Why do you always have to do things on your bloody own?"

"I'm stronger that way Eames"

"Doesn't it get lonely?"

"I haven't really thought about it"

She was the strongest woman that he had ever met, the most stubborn but also the strongest. She had been through things that would bring most people to their knee and Olivia just kept going. She had grown up in one of the worst parts of Dublin and from a young age she demanded respect and got it. That in turn had made her hard and to get into her heart was a might challenge. She had a softer, mother hen side to her that few people had been, but he was one of them.

"I adore you, Livvy. Always have and you walking back into my life as only cemented that"

"Stop..."

"Just shut up and listen, please"

"I need you to come in with us because that way I know you're safe. I can't do the job and worry about you at the same time. If I lose you again.."

She stared at him with an expression he couldn't quite understand. She looked past him, looked over his shoulder, looking anywhere but directly at him. Which rubbed him up the wrong way.

"You tell me this now? You can't tell me what I want to hear, now"

"What you want to hear?"

"No, what I wanted to hear four years ago"

"That's not what you said, Liv"

"It's what I meant"

"Is it?"

"Listen, I don't have time for your mind games. I have work to do"

"My mind games?" he said grabbing her elbow as she tried to storm past him "I'm not the one that had a Freudian slip of the tongue just now"

"Let go of my arm"

He didn't. What he did was pull her in closer quickly and sharply, so that they were nose to nose. She let out a shuttered breath as she looked fearfully into his eyes and he realised she was scared, exposed and without that emotional armour she normally wore. His force of his grip lessened slowly until she was freed. Olivia walked swiftly back into the manor leaving him outside in the cold. Trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. It took a while for it all to sink in but once it did he rushed but into the house, through the front door like someone was after him. Rushed up the staircase two or three steps at a time and through her bedroom door like it wasn't even there. There she was in the ensuite bathroom, she looked at his reflection with misty eyes before turning around to face him

"What can I do for you now!"

He held her face in his hands before she forcefully shook him off. Eames took her chin in-between his thumb and his forefinger, fixed her with his dark grey eyes. Olivia froze, she couldn't even move even if she wanted too. She knew it was going to kiss her, knew it was going to happen but still when it finally did she was surprised even so. She kissed him back as if she had been doing it every day since they had broken up. Suddenly she stiffened in his arms and pushed his away and stormed over to the door. She didn't get far before he grabbed her arm spinning her around and slamming her back against the wall, next to the door and kissed her again. Olivia finally realise what she had been missing in her relationship with the Russian novelist – Passion and that was something Olivia couldn't fight against – she never won that battle, never had and never would.


	7. Chapter 7

A clap of thunder ran through the air and she noticed the temperature drop. Liv hated herself for it but there was no place she would have rather be then where she was in that moment. Before she started this job, she told herself that she wasn't going to fall for anything he was going to try. Lord, knew he was going to charm. She knew him too well, he was going to try and charm her but Liv was going to remember everything that he had done to her, how she felt when she first found out. How she felt, when she had to sign over her place in Boston, to someone else and how much she loved that place but there she was wrapped in blankets, wrapped in his arms and never wanting to leave.

"I wasn't going to let you touch me"

"You failed, my love"

"In a big way" she chuckled

"We both knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time"

"Guess you're right"

"Although, I have to say. I thought you'd put up more of a fight then that. You're getting rather slutty in your old age"

She looked up and him with wide eyes and an open mouth, before she hit his arm. Liv knew he was kidding but decided to play along. She needed some fun in her life.

"You're so funny. I guess given the situation and who is waiting for me in Russia. This could be called an affair"

"Don't do that" he told her "Don't make it into something it's not. It's us, we're different"

"I don't think Vasily would see it that way"

"Well then _Vasily_ can take it up with me"

"You two are never meeting"

"Well, we won't have a reason to after you break up with him"

Liv didn't know why but that got her defences up. Was that a flippant comment? Or was that an order? She slowly got out from under the covers and hopped out of the bed before muttering

"We'll see"

Eames frowned and watched her silently. He knew what was happening and he should have known it was going too happened, he should have prepared for it.

"What do you mean? We'll see" he asked getting dresses

"Exactly, what I said. Given the fact that we're actually here to do a job and if we don't get it right our lives are on the line. I've got ten billion things I have to do and twenty thousand things I have yet to finish before this thing is completed which I haven't yet because you keep distracting me. Which also tells me, you haven't finished neither"

"You're just as distracting"

"Well maybe we should stay away from each other in that the case. Until we've finished what we need to do"

Eames put his shoes on roughly in pure annoyance. He shook his head as he stood up.

"So we're back to this are we? We're going to resume the dance. Avoiding me, infuriating each other and bickering. Wouldn't it easier just to give in? Aren't you exhausted? I sure am"

"That's not I'm saying"

"That is what you're saying. You have always over complicated things because you're scared"

"Of dying? Yeah I am"

"No. Of living truthfully"

"You couldn't be more wrong"

"We'll see" he said with a bitter smirk. Throw her words back at her and walking out the door. Eames was right and Liv hated it.

Arthur was out in the yard when he saw her come out, rushed down the stone stairs near the conservatory. There was something in the way she rushed but tried to seem like she was staying calm. Something was wrong and it had the forger written all over it. Liv hadn't even realise she was being watched or that Arthur was even around until she hoped into one of the car and he jumped into the passenger side. Liv looked over him confused.

"Where are we going?" he asked her casually. She thought about lying to him but by the look on his face Arthur already knew what was going on.

"A little excursion to do some research on our lovely mark"

"Sounds like fun"

They parked in front of the apartment complex where their mark lived. They had it on good authority, their client that he was going to be out for the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening, so time wasn't really a factor. Getting into his apartment however another story. One thing about Liv was the fact that she was a great cat burglar skills. She had been breaking into houses since the age of twelve but it was always nerve wracking until she actually got there and knew what she was doing but having Arthur by her side helped. He always had that calming effect on her, maybe because he was so calm himself. It was hard not to follow his lead. Liv had to admit, she could get fired up at times, it was in her nature. They walked up to the marks front door and she looked closely at the lock before getting her tiny tool kit out of the back pocket of her jeans.

"You're not going to need that" Arthur told her

"I think I will not unless you have a" she looked up at him and saw him holding up a single brass key

"If anyone asks, we're feeding the cat"

Arthur stepped in front her and opened the door before stepping back again and letting Liv walk in first, ever the gentleman.

"I'm going to be really impressed if you know the cat's name"

"Cat"

"The cat's name, is cat?" she asked unconvinced

"Our client is an Audrey Hepburn fan"

"Breakfast at Tiffany's"

"Fond memories of that film. You, me, a hotel in Paris, room services"

"And Breakfast at Tiffany's" she said smiling at him

"Well you are my Audrey Hepburn. Seemed appropriate"

"You're not my George Peppard though. More my Fred Astaire in Funny Face" He looked over at her surprised "Well, you can dance"

"Only with you, Livvy"

She smiled that smile that lit up a room before going back to her job. This was the tricky part. She needed to know this place, his home, just as well as he did. Anything out of place the mark was going to notice and know something wasn't right. She needed him to be comfortable in his surroundings. She wasn't so lucky to have a photographic memory which was a pain and a half. Thank god for camera phones

"Do me a favour?" Arthur asked her

"Anything"

"Double check what the rug's made out of "

"Why?" she asked with a chuckle

"Trust me"

She frowned and tried not laugh as she crouched down to the rug. Taking a proper look at it, studying it. She looked back up at Arthur

"Hand knotted wool coral shag rug in beige. Hand felted around a black centre 'pupil' like a fish eye"

"Thank you"

"Welcome and you will tell me that story later on"

They both walked around the apartment taking in every detail, taking photographs as they went. She walked into the bathroom weary about what she may find. It was a single guy's apartment after all. Surprisingly it was pretty clean. She walked over to the basin and opened the cupboard before grabbing his cologne bottle and taking off the lid. She smelt the woody floral musky scent, was mysterious, alluring and distinctive scent. Maybe that was how the mark saw him self. Mysterious and alluring that sounded like someone else she knew.

"You slept with him didn't you?" She looked up at the doorway and smiled sadly at Arthur before nodding her head "How bad is it?"

"Judging on the back flip I did this morning. Pretty damn bad"

"We'll fix it. He'll calm down"

"I'm sorry Arthur. I don't mean to make your life more difficult. I really don't"

"Livvy, I knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of when" he watched her put the cologne back in its place and closed the cabinet door. She shrugged her shoulders and walked past him to continue taking photographs


End file.
